Traditionally, airport departures are managed on a first come, first serve basis. For instance, aircraft are taxied out and get in line in order to be sequenced for takeoff. However, when runway demand exceeds an airport's capacity, the result can be long departure queues, surface congestion, gate holdouts, as well as aircraft gridlock that results in ground stops and arrival delays and the threat of Tarmac Delay Department of Transportation fines. Furthermore, these delays caused by inefficient allocation of departures times can lead to increased fuel usage, increased fuel load and increased air emissions while diminishing the overall passenger experience.